he young, reserve quarterback who carves up second- and third-stringers during the preseason is always an immensely popular figure among fans. In the case of 49ers quarterback Scott Tolzien, however, it’s worth noting that his veteran teammates also think highly – quite highly – of the 25-year-old’s ability. …

Tolzien, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 84 yards with an interception, made a series of no-hesitation, on-the-spot throws against the Vikings’ reserves. Of his three incompletions, two were drops. On his final pass, his arm was hit as he threw and the ball fluttered into the hands of Vikings linebacker Solomon Elimimian. …

For his film, Ware chose a subject whose story provided many of the elements often found in great cinema: conflict, struggle (six seasons worth, to be exact) and, finally, the type of soaring triumph that has everyone trading their popcorn for Kleenex. Yes, Ware’s film was about 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. …

On Friday, Randy Moss raved about nearly everything associated with the San Francisco 49ers. His head coach? Moss said he’s embraced Jim Harbaugh’s get-a-bit-better-every-day mantra (“Being a player’s coach that he is, you can really see that he really loves the game”). …

Starting after the emotional nadir of his career – the prime-time 2010 loss to the Eagles when he was publicly berated by his head coach and 60,000 WE-WANT-CARR!! screaming fans – Smith has produced this statistical line: 395 of 665, 4,780 yards, 30 TDs, 6 INTs, 92.8 rating. …